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21 Responses to ““he approached it as a grown-up would””

Cleary, Matt Lauer got the memo about the tone/partisan meme that the Republicans and the media are harping on. When the facts are presented, it’s a partisan attack and it poisons the well. Steve Benen goes after the tone and partisan nonsense below:

THE MEDIA SURE IS HARD TO PLEASE….

Last week, much of the media establishment drooled all over itself while praising Paul Ryan’s right-wing budget plan. For most major news outlets, the far-right chairman of the House Budget Committee was “courageously” tackling an issue the media cares about — deficit and debt reduction — in a way they found satisfying (slashing health care for seniors and the disabled = “serious”).

Perhaps, then, the media would be pleased with President Obama’s debt-reduction plan. After all, he’s playing the game the establishment wants him to play — focusing on fiscal responsibility — and doing so with a sound, credible proposal that would actually do what it sets out to do. Best of all, the White House made sure the president’s numbers add up, which is more than we can say about Ryan’s plan.

Matt Lauer makes $17M a year under his current contract and is asking for $25M a year if they want him to stick around after his current contract runs out. Doing the math if the Bush extra tax cuts for the rich expire it would cost him $1M more in taxes. So pushing this partisan frame is worth a million dollars a year to Matt Lauer.

I tell my family that everyone of the pundits they see on TV and hear on the radio make more than $250K filing jointly with their spouses. They have a dog in this fight. It’s a personal hit to their pocket books and to their boses’ pocket books. Most of their viewers, however, are not among the wealthiest 2%. My family knows they need to be very wary of the mainstream media perspective, especially on this issue.

Steve Benen has a follow-up post that documents some of the more serious reviews of the speech.

PRAISING GENUINE SERIOUSNESS….

We talked earlier about some of the frustrating media reactions to President Obama’s debt-reduction plan, most notably from Time’s Mark Halperin and Politico. The criticism had a certain vapidity — Halperin said Obama’s plan “failed” to be sufficiently “paradigm-shifting” — that didn’t match the credibility of the proposal itself.

But in fairness, it’s worth emphasizing that Halperin and Politico, while obviously powerful and influential, don’t necessarily speak for the political media establishment as a whole, and their takes don’t reflect the D.C. consensus, at least not always.

Greg Sargent is right to note that “many Beltway establishment media figures, while expressing some reservations, actually hailed Obama’s plan as very serious indeed.”

I also wish the Dems would push back on the idea that it’s a tax hike. The Bush Tax Cuts had a 10 yr sunset clause – they were designed and passed with the idea that they’d expire. Bush’s CBO at the time Mitch Daniels(yes that one) had to build in the sunset because the longterm projection showed it to be a deficit/debt exploder, so in order to hide it’s second decade when it would really spike the debt graphs, they had it sunset (knowing full well they’d push it as “raising taxes” on the next administration).

And while I’m complaining, when Lauer brings up the “Billion Dollar Campaign” I would have liked to see DWS mention the third party groups that can keep their donors (who are not capped with a donation limit) secret and how such groups spent 7-to-1 in favor of the GOP in 2010.

OMG Matt Lauer I will hate you until you die. There is no compromise on ending the bush tax cuts. That shit is dead, let it die! How out of touch could he possibly be. He just another greedy millionaire.

My guess is that John King will do a hit piece how the difference between Obamas (factual) savings and Ryans (imagined) savings could circle the globe twice if you used dollar bills put end to end and therefore Ryan is cool and Obama is hitler.

He will also sprinkle in some examples of what that money could do in red states like Utah and Alabama.

I don’t watch NBC at all as long as they have chump the clown on their network. Did u guys read the Feud between chump the clown and the Owner of The New york daily news? It’s on huff puff and it’s so juicy. I new this clown will be hurt by that picture on the front page and he is accusing of being disloyal to him that he rescued his newspaper when it was in trouble and the owner is denying everything. It’s so juicy to read. This guy is a bully to every who says and writes anything negative about him.

Hello Chipsticks and the gang, hope everyone is having a reasonably good day! My computer is up and running and I’ve been trying desperately to catch up. It’s not the same reading events and discussions after the fact :(, but at least I get some idea of what’s been happening.

Frankly, I find it annoying (and frustrating) to listen to the different interviewers who question the President, his press secretary &/ Debbie W, or any other democrat, and do not show any interest in their answers. I used to think that an interview was a dialogue of sorts, but not anymore. These modern day interviewers just pose question after question (often speaking over their guests), and as a listener I get the impression that they already know the answers they want to elicit. They show little interest in the interviewee’s answer, and even less interest in CLARIFYING for the listener the topic raised. They are really not worth a quarter of the money they are paid IF their job is to inform the public!

What Matt said about the billion dollar possibility was stupid. Another response could have to do with the Pandora’s Box that the Supreme Court opened. And, the billion dollar possibility, which the Dems are NOT touting (Matt has joined John King, I see) is supposed to be PBO’s fault?

Watched it this morning….agree with all the comments that Matt is a fool…always has been, but Debbie was fantastic!!!! I am so glad, estatic, that she will be the our new voice!! She’s quick thinking, knows everything, and has Obama’s back!! She is the perfect choice!

1st That woman is a fierce fighter and money raising machine. I have always enjoyed seeing her being interviewed because unlike quite a few of her Dem counterparts, she never cowers and is always prepared with facts to shut the idiots up. Also during all the time she’s been in Congress she has also had to battle breast cancer, undergoing treatment I think 3 times. Talk about tough! But still she stays on top and spot on.

2nd She needs to hold class with some in her party to show them how it’s done.

3rd 34.7million was spent on just the gov race in Wisconsin. Most by club for growth, koch and friends. Not to mention all their free face time on their dedicated network. Can you imagine what Koch, ExxonMobile, GE, Club for Growth and all the rest are going to be spending against in the next election?

4th They are masters at setting the narrative. They sling wet toilet paper at the ceiling and hope it sticks. The focus on this is nothing more than another faux outrage petri dish.

Debbie is a fighter who knows how to speak to the facts,and she will not allow anyone to try to talk her down to petty dirt for the day. She is a serious lady, and the President has her back and she has his. I think that she will get the support from the President, and I am so proud to see her serve as Chairperson for DNC. Change has come to Washington.